Spiffy:

Iffy:

It feels a bit too similar to the second game so far.

Much like Insomniac and Naughty Dog, the recent history of Bellevue-based game studio Sucker Punch has been dominated by a single series: Sly Cooper. The first Sly game was an early PS2 platforming triumph, with a back-to-basics approach to platforming and a great Saturday morning cartoon style. Later, Sly 2: Band of Thieves broadened the scope considerably, adding two new playable characters and introducing the idea of elaborate capers. Now, near the end of the PS2's lifespan, Sucker Punch is getting ready to turn its series into a trilogy. Say hello to Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves.

We last checked out Sly 3 in June, and the game's come a long way since then. June's version was a simple four-level demo; this latest build features completely playable versions of the entire first three episodes, or about a third of the game. Sly 3 is definitely a child of the second game, as it retains the caper-centric mission structure and variety of playable characters.

The playable characters are only likely to increase, too, since Sly 3's plot involves assembling the ultimate gang of thieves in order to lay siege to a fortress that's been built around the Cooper family's vault. So far I've encountered two new characters, the first being longtime Sly antagonist Carmelita Fox. She's got her trademark electric gun and high jump, and can go into a strafe mode to better blast baddies. The other new playable character is the shape-shifting aboriginal guru, described in GameSpy's last preview. Midway through the second episode, he actually joins your gang for good.

The game starts out as Sly, his geeky sidekick Bentley, and a new friend or two infiltrate the island holding the Cooper family's vault. Infiltrate is the right word, as a new bad guy has built up an enormous, locked-down fortress around it as he tries to gain entry to the vault. After a confrontation, Sly and friends retreat upon realizing the futility of their assault. They'll need to build the ultimate gang of thieves to have a chance at securing that vault, and that, then, is a good reason to seek out their old pal Murray on the streets of Venice.

Venice happens to be the home of an opera-singing Mafioso lion called Octavio, who serves as the main villain for this first episode. He's in the middle of an overly complex scheme to pollute the city's waterways, so most of the early jobs involve thwarting either his polluting plan or his upcoming concert, which you'll learn are bizarrely related. The overall goal of the first episode is to win back the loyalty of former Cooper gang associate Murray, who parted ways with Sly to indulge in a spiritual journey.

Taking after Sly 2, the gameplay goals are many and varied. One mission has Sly racing
to run short-fused bombs to Octavio's advertising blimps; one of the blimps gets caught on a tower as it ascends, requiring Sly to find a way to scale the structure and cut it loose. Instances like this remind us of the series' impeccable platforming mechanics. The physics and feel are as smooth as ever, making it an effortless breeze to maneuver Sly and friends through the expansive game worlds.